"A billion rises" in Podgorica: With drums they broke the silence of violence against women

With a special drum composition designed and performed by Dragoljub Đuričić with women's rights activists, the seventh anti-violence dance in a row started within the framework of the most massive activist movement in the history of the international fight against violence against women, "Billion Rises".

On that occasion, Đuričić said that he was glad that at this event and in this fight, in addition to wonderful female voices, a male voice was also heard.

"I am here today with all my heart and soul. If it weren't for my mother and my grandmother, who never left Risno, I would never have traveled the world. That's why I gathered the girls and women of Podgorica to create a drum composition that is a contribution to all our women who are freeing themselves, because nothing is as valuable as freedom. If today we encourage at least one woman suffering from violence to reach out for help, I will consider it a success," said Đuričić.

The president of the Safe Women's House, Ljiljana Raičević, reminded that this is the seventh year since Montenegro joined the global campaign "A Billion Stands Up".

"We are all here today to tell you - stop the violence, resist, report the violence and dance with us," Raičević pointed out.

The executive director of the NGO "Women's Voices" Olja Knežević said this is one of the ways to shed light on the problem of violence in Montenegro.

"Stop violence in our way, with drumming, with dancing, because the harder life is, the harder and darker times are, the dance and rhythm should be fiercer. That's why we say stop violence, all kinds of violence, especially those vile, invisible kinds of violence that are slowly draining our lives," said Knežević.

This year's dance was held under the slogan I BREAK THE SILENCE, organized by the NGO Safe Women's House and the NGO Women's Voices with the support of the Ministry of Human and Minority Rights, UNDP and the EU Delegation in Montenegro.

Those gathered joined the dance, which this year is dedicated to the fight against rape, incest, sexual harassment, trafficking in women, forced child marriages, femicide and violence against the LGBT community.

The organizers said that we should all show resistance and solidarity together, and that the Billion Rises is no longer a campaign - but a way of life.